Microsoft has been battling the USA over access to data for some time now. And the other big internet companies are backing it too. The USA wants to be able to access data held by Microsoft overseas. Microsoft claims that it does not have to hand it over on request – and that consumer and . . . → Read More: Behind the veil – companies vs the State

If you open your door to a delivery man, you could be looking at a slave.

Cleaners and delivery drivers in the gig economy are being subject to financial penalties for not showing up for work – that’s beyond docking the pay for work not done: it’s a fine on top. According to the Guardian, . . . → Read More: ParcelForced Labour?

Fracking is controversial and widely rejected by the communities where it could take place. But the oil company Ineos is pushing forward with its fracking plans in the UK. It seems content to do this at almost any cost to community good will, pursuing legal injunctions making any practical protest illegal.

Barclays’ boss is being investigated by two regulators: the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA). The reason seems to be that the CEO wanted to uncover the identity of a whistleblower within the bank.

Of course this is quite contrary to the bank’s own policies on the matter, as set out . . . → Read More: Pricing in bad behaviour

The main mass circulation UK newspapers have set up IPSO to regulate themselves. Everyone else wants something independent of the newspapers to regulate the industry. The main alternative proposal is Impress, supported by Max Mosley and the Rowntree Trust.

We live in a world with global supply chains and apparently bottomless consumption. The demands of the market are that companies get stuff and sell it – but they do not often remember where it came from and perhaps don’t much care where it goes. So to . . . → Read More: Where does everything come from?